Man involved in meth ring gets 11 years

SAN DIEGO ---- An 11-year federal prison term was handed down
Tuesday for a man who played a major role in a ring that used
multiple couriers, including juveniles, to smuggle methamphetamine
from Mexico into the United States.

Ruben Orozco was the 10th of 16 defendants to be sentenced in
the case, in which Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized or
arranged the seizure of more than 150 pounds of meth and $160,000
in U.S. currency in 2005 and 2006.

After smuggling the drug from Mexico into the United States, the
defendants put the meth into the hands of re-distributors
throughout Southern California, according to prosecutors.

Evidence showed the conspirators received more than 800 pounds
of meth from one of their sources in the 10 months preceding their
March 2006 arrests.

According to court documents, the 48-year-old Orozco, in
particular, received or ordered several multipound meth shipments
between November 2005 and February 2006 from the ringleader of the
conspiracy, Jorge Arreola-Gomez.

Arreola-Gomez was previously sentenced to more than 29 years in
prison.

U.S. District Judge Marilyn Huff, who imposed the sentence,
previously ordered Orozco and his co-defendants to forfeit their
interests in a Chula Vista residence, currency, firearms and
several vehicles, including a Hummer H2 and a BMW 330i.